Applications Open for Games and Gaming Round Table 2026 “Game On!” Grant

The Games and Gaming Round Table of the American Library Association is proud to sponsor its annual grant program to enable libraries to develop gaming programs or collections for their  patrons. This year’s grant will fund $2,000 in awards, as either a single $2,000 award or two $1,000 awards.

This year's award includes a $1000 donation match from Cards Against Humanity, who also launched their CAH Loves Libraries website in 2024. Their support will sustain $1,000 in grant funds for awards from 2025-2029. In 2024, Eliot Weinstein, co-creator of Cards Against Humanity, said "We were able to see for ourselves the great work GameRT and the other divisions of the ALA do! Unfortunately, the idea of libraries as a place of intellectual growth, the safety and livelihood of librarians, and the freedom to read itself, are all currently under attack in many parts of our country. There’s no better time to send a message to librarians (and the organizations that support them) that we’ve got your back."

Rebecca Strang, 2025 Game On! Grant Committee Chair, said of the grant, "Each year I serve on the grant committee is another year I get to see libraries doing amazing things for their communities with games. Seeing games as a catalyst for community building, recreation, and education is a balm during stressful times. The GameRT grant committee looks forward to another round of applications! If you’re applying and wondering how to make sure your submission stands out, remember that library folks love to hear the story behind why you’re building your gaming program."

ALA members in good standing currently employed at a public, school, academic, or special library in the United States or Canada are eligible to apply. Libraries will need to illustrate a plan for a sustainable gaming program created with the funds as well as financial need and institutional support for the proposed program. Grant applicants can find more details about eligibility and criteria, including evaluation rubric on the Game On! Grant page of the GameRT website.

The deadline for applications is March 15, 2026, and the grant winner will be announced at GameRT’s “ALA Play” event at the 2026 ALA Annual conference in Chicago this June. Additional information and an application can be found online at https://games.ala.org/game-on-grant/.

About the Games and Gaming Round Table

The Games and Gaming Round Table (GameRT) of the American Library Association provides a venue for librarians interested in the use of games and gaming in libraries of all types a place to gather and share. GameRT was formed in 2011, replacing and extending the pre-existing gaming member interest group. As a round table, GameRT is built around our shared passion for games and the use of gaming within libraries. With members from all types of libraries, GameRT encompasses a wide variety of viewpoints, situations, and user types. Look for more information on the GameRT blog.

About ALA

Established in 1876, the American Library Association (ALA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization created to provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.